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2011 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, an Autoweek Drivers Log Car Review

August 9, 2011

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CONTRIBUTING EDITOR BARRY WINFIELD : Even with a base price of about $110,000, the 2011 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 is a performance bargain. Its 638 hp puts it right up there with some serious European hardware costing considerably more. Appropriately, the ZR1 is also loaded with trick high-performance technology such as dry-sump lubrication, magnetic ride control, launch control and ceramic brakes. The question is, what does one do with all of this rarefied performance potential?

On cold tires, the grip goes away halfway through first gear and the rear wheels spin with real enthusiasm. Add some heat to the rubber, and you'll get further up the dial before the same thing happens. I once had the wheels break loose fairly high up the tach in second, and the car started a fast wiggle similar to what you see F1 cars doing in the wet. Presumably because both rear wheels were spinning at the same speed, the active handling system chose to ignore it. Yes, we should have used the launch control.

Whichever way you look at it, this is a seriously fast car. Pull the trigger on this sucker, and you'd better have some space around you, because things start happening at a rate quite unlike anything most people have ever experienced. This essentially makes the ZR1 a track car. Anyone planning only to commute and drive socially in a ZR1 is just posing. We believe frequent track days are called for here.

This is a little ironic, because the Corvette is now surprisingly civil in everyday driving situations. The dual-range suspension settings allow tolerably compliant responses over bumps and ridges, the drivetrain is adequately isolated, and the tight composite body refrains from creaking. Moreover, the clutch is easy to use and the shifter is fluid and accurate. In terms of overall refinement, the Vette has come a long way.

In ZR1 trim, the car's interior goes some way to justify the steep price tag. The leather-covered seats, shifter and steering wheel provide a lush interface between driver and car, while a comprehensive list of luxury equipment items stud the internal landscape. But under all of that the archetypal American sports car remains, with a brawny, big engine and rear-wheel drive, now tuned and honed to a fast Nürburgring-lapping balance.

A good driver will extract remarkable virtuosity from the ZR1--just take a look at the YouTube Nordschleife lap--but most of the likely owners will barely scratch the surface. That's their privilege. The rest of us are simply grateful for the ride.